Diaphragm valve

ABSTRACT

A diaphragm valve for sealing a chamber which consists of a rupture disc, a hollow knife, a power spring, a power spring retainer and a bellows motor. The hollow knife is positioned by the power spring retainer adjacent to the rupture disc. A bellows motor, suitably positioned at the head end of the knife, provides the force, when initiated, to force the knife into the disc to rupture it thus permitting air to fill the chamber through the hollow knife body. The device may also be activated manually with the power spring providing the driving force to the knife.

United States Patent Inventor Robert L. Gerber Ridgecrest, Calif. Appl.No. 57,710 Filed July 23, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee TheUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyPrimary ExaminerM. Cary Nelson Assistant Examiner-Richard GerardA!t0rneys-R. S. Sciascia and Thomas 0. Watson, .lr.

ABSTRACT: A diaphragm valve for sealing a chamber which consists of arupture disc, a hollow knife, a power spring, a power spring retainerand a bellows motor. The hollow knife is positioned by the power springretainer adjacent to the rupture disc. A bellows motor, suitablypositioned at the head end of the knife, provides the force, wheninitiated, to force the knife into the disc to rupture it thuspermitting air to fill the chamber through the hollow knife body. Thedevice may also be activated manually with the power spring providingthe driving force to the knife.

PATENTEU JAN] 1 1972 3:633; 596

IN VENTOR.

ROBERT L. GERBER J/QM 0 042;).

ATTORNEY DIAPHRAGM VALVE STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates generally to diaphragm valves andmore particularly to such valves that may be either electrically ormanually activated to provide sealed pressure or vacuum chamber.

Emergency cockpit illumination, in the case of a power failure, is ofinterest to all aircraft pilots and their passengers. Thechemiluminescent method of emergency cockpit lighting has been found tobe superior to other methods of emergency lighting because there are nobatteries or other devices which deteriorate with time. Suchdeterioration frequently leaves the device inoperative at the time thatit is most needed. A typical chemiluminescent lighting system is shownin U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,828 for CHEMILUMINESCENT EMERGENCY LIGHT issuedNov. 28, 1967.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The device of the present invention is used toseal and to activate on command an emergency chemiluminescent light.

disc thereby providing a chamber through the hollow knife body. Whilethe device has been found to be particularly suitable for sealing andactivating chemiluminescent light sources, it is contemplated that thediaphragm valve of the present invention may be applied in any situationrequiring both a sealing and seal-rupturing mechanism.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a valve capable of sealing a pressure or vacuumchamber for long periods of time.

Another object is to provide a valve that may be activated to open asealed fluid passageway.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a valve that maybe either electrically or manually operated.

These and other objects and advantages as well as the exact nature ofthis invention will be readily apparent from consideration of thefollowing specification relating to the annexed drawing in which thefigure is a cutaway showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT chamber of the valvebody 10. A positive seal is established at the rupture disc 11 bydeforming it between the internal shoulder 13 and the rupture discpositioner 12. The rupture disc 11 may be made of soft aluminum or anyother suitable material.

Positioned adjacent the rupture disc 11 is a hollow knife member 14. Aknife retainer 15 prevents the knife member 14 from premature engagementwith the rupture disc. 11.

Located behind the hollow knife member 14 are the knifeactuating membersin the form ofa power spring 17 and a bellows motor 18. The power spring1 is prevented from acting upon the knife member 14 by a manuallyremovable power spring retainer 19. The bellows motor 18 is electricallyactivated by an external source (not shown) through the leads 20. Therear portion of the valve body is closed by a screwplug 21.

In operation, the deformed rupture disc 11 maintains a positive seal ona pressure or vacuum chamber connected to the valve body through thepassageway 22. When it becomes necessary to activate the valve (as in acockpit power failure in the chemiluminescent light source application)the knife member 14 is driven through the rupture disc 11 by either thepower spring 17 or bellows motor 18. The force of the power spring 17 isdelivered to the knife 14 by manual removal of the power spring retainer19. Electrical activation is achieved by passing sufficient currentthrough the leads 20 to cause the bellows motor 18 to expand and actupon the knife member 14.

When the knife member 14 is forced through the rupture disc 11, byeither the power spring 17 or bellows motor 18, there is provided afluid passageway through the hollow knife member 14 and valve bodypassageway 22 to the previously sealed chamber. The valve body may beconnected to the external chamber by cementing or otherwise attaching apiece of tubing to the extension of the valve body 10 which forms theinternal passageway 22.

A shown and described, the diaphragm valve of the present invention willmaintain a leakproof seal for an indefinite period of time. It may bemanually or electrically activated when needed with little worry ofdeterioration from disuse. Obviously, many modifications and variationsare possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Iclaim:

l. A diaphragm valve which comprises:

a. a hollow body member having an internal chamber and a passageway;

b. means within said internal chamber for positively sealing one end ofthe chamber from the passageway;

c. a hollow knife member positioned within said internal chamberadjacent said sealing means;

d. first and second independently operable actuating means for drivingthe hollow knife member through said sealing means to provide a fluidpassageway from the chamber through the hollow knife member;

e. said first independently operable actuating means comprising a powerspring and a manually removable power spring retainer; and

f. said second independently operable actuating means comprising anelectrically activated bellows motor mounted in the hollow portion ofsaid power spring; whereby the diaphragm valve may be activated manuallyby removal of the power spring retainer or electrically by passing acurrent through the bellows motor.

2. The diaphragm valve of claim I wherein the means for sealingcomprises a rupture disc.

3. The diaphragm valve of claim is made of soft aluminum.

2 wherein the rupture disc

1. A diaphragm valve which comprises: a. a hollow body member having aninternal chamber and a passageway; b. means within said internal chamberfor positively sealing one end of the chamber from the passageway; c. ahollow knife member positioned within said internal chamber adjacentsaid sealing means; d. first and second independently operable actuatingmeans for driving the hollow knife member through said sealing means toprovide a fluid passageway from the chamber through the hollow knifemember; e. said first independently operable actuating means comprisinga power spring and a manually removable power spring retainer; and f.said second independently operable actuating means comprising anelectrically activated bellows motor mounted in the hollow portion ofsaid power spring; whereby the diaphragm valve may be activated manuallyby removal of the power spring retainer or electrically by passing acurrent through the bellows motor.
 2. The diaphragm valve of claim 1wherein the means for sealing comprises a rupture disc.
 3. The diaphragmvalve of claim 2 wherein the rupture disc is made of soft aluminum.